The Art of Sabering a Champagne Bottle

Some celebrations just require that extra pop… Saber that Champagne Bottle!

When a champagne bottle is struck at the right point with a sharp edge, the collar of the bottle will break-off with a clean cut and the cork still be completely surrounded by the glass. How does this work? A champagne bottle has roughly 35 pounds of force pushing on the cork at all times due to the release of carbon dioxide during secondary fermentation. While modern day champagne bottles are made of thick glass to contain this pressure, glass is still a brittle material that will break instead of bend, and so just one well-placed scratch on the surface will create a weak breaking-point. The bottle is weakest underneath the lip of the bottle. By sliding your saber along the seam of the bottle at a 45-degree angle, the fluid nudge hitting the under lip of the bottle creates a microscopic crack. The pressure inside does the rest of the work. The saber is not actually breaking the glass, but creating a fracture in the glass, allowing the pressure to release the collar of the bottle and the cork along with it.

Instructions on Sabering a Champagne Bottle

Chill a bottle (or many) of champagne.

Always saber outside and in a direction away from people.

Remove all foil and the wire basket from the bottle.

Locate the seam in the glass. The seam meets the lip of the bottle, which is the weakest part of the bottle. The blade of the saber will glide up this line.

With the top of the bottle angled away from you, firmly grip the base of the bottle and hold it at a 30-degree angle.

Rest the blade flat against the bottle on the seam, roughly around the shoulder of the bottle.

In a fluid motion, quickly slide the blade up the seam of the bottle on a 45-degree angle, aiming for ring near the top of the bottle. It does not take much force, but it may take a couple tries.

When done properly, the glass will break on a clean line, sending the cork and the collar flying with great force.